Banity fair: Chris Christie filled the screen and delivered speech

To deliver a keynote speech at a convention is an honor because it is the theme-setter. Someone at the RNC decided that Governor Chris Christie is the best speaker the Republicans have and represents the wave of the future. He is the symbol for what we are to become?

Reminding Democrats in New Jersey to vote in 2012 because, after all, there are 700,000 more Dems in the state than Republicans goes into the opening remarks and thank you. Thanks governor and Obama says thank you too.

Appealing to ethnic heritage, he reminds the audience that he is both Irish and Sicilian.

He said his Mom was the driver and Dad was just a passenger. (Dad was sitting in the audience.) Mom has passed, though this was an appeal to women? His Dad worked at the Breyers Ice Cream plant and that might explain something.

Listening to Bruce Springsteen in a studio apartment with wife Mary Pat is something with which we can relate.

The speech began as a march for Mom and she said that Chris had to choose between being “loved and being respected”. My Mom didn’t lay out such an awkward course. She wanted me to be loved and respected. Speaking the truth for a storyteller is hard because sometimes the truth is boring.

“She told me that love without respect was always fleeting, but that respect could grow into real and lasting love. Now, of course, she was talking about women,” he said.

What? Was she talking about the ugly girl across the street?

“But I have learned over time that it applies just as much to leadership. In fact, I think that advice applies to America more than ever today,” he went on.

Let’s see, Mitt Romney is an acquired taste for Republicans. You have to go for respect because you just can’t love him?

At this point, the governor became an object of his words. He was paralyzed and tangled, throwing out words: founding fathers, passions, and emotions. He explained that founding fathers weren’t seeking popularity. I think this speech is bane and have discovered the theme.

“You see, I believe we have become paralyzed, paralyzed by our desire to be loved. Now our founding fathers had the wisdom to know that social acceptance and popularity were fleeing, and that this country’s principles needed to be rooted in strengths greater than the passions and the emotions of the times,” he said.

Christie believes that political leaders need to “say no” more often. Can you say no to what Americans expect as outcomes? See the picture post. If you say no to that, then say goodbye.

Did you say “no” to attacking Iraq?

Respect or love

I respect and love Obama as President at this point, Chris. How about you?

“You see, we are the United States of America,” he observed followed by yada, yada, yada.

I don’t know what to believe because there isn’t any substance here to judge.

“Leaders change the polls,” said Christie. Well, the whole world watching and listening to every word. See the slideshow “Wordle” picture of the speech.